function makeRequest(url) {
  httpRequest = new XMLHttpRequest();

  if (!httpRequest) {
    alert('Giving up :( Cannot create an XMLHTTP instance');
    return false;
  }
  httpRequest.onreadystatechange = function() {
    if (httpRequest.readyState === XMLHttpRequest.DONE) {
      if (httpRequest.status === 200) {
        alert(httpRequest.responseText);
      } else {
        alert('There was a problem with the request.');
      }
    }
	 };
  httpRequest.open('GET', url);
  httpRequest.send();
}